Legal Question in Business Law in California

Is there any ground of getting sued under this circumstance?

I was in a partnership and we together made a project which was his initial idea but I developed the plan and worked to make the software. However it was not started. Before that, our partnership dissolved because of some reasons. And the software was discarded, I did not hand it over to my partner.

I didn't hand him over the raw files of the project, but I said him (just as a friend) that in future he can take help of my emailed plan-charts to start the project afresh if he wants. He said that this project will never be started again. I have a recording of the conversation too.

After a few months, the guy started another partnership with some other people and resumed the same project and copied exactly what I framed. He fell into a patent copyright infringement lawsuit due to this from another company.

Can he drag me into this lawsuit and can I be sued for this because of patent violation? Or am I legally safe?

I was not a part of the new partnership... Kindly advise


Asked on 3/19/15, 12:08 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Perry Law Offices of Charles R. Perry

Without a detailed interview and review of the situation, review of the pleadings, and possibly other information, there is no way to advise you of your exposure.

There is a difference between being dragged into the lawsuit and being liable. It takes a lot less to be dragged into the suit and have to defend yourself, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that from happening.

You may actually want to speak to a lawyer in confidence about your situation, rather than try to obtain advice -- which is publicly accessible -- over a forum like this.

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Answered on 3/19/15, 12:34 am


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